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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23316358">NAME OF THE WIND - THEORIES and ANALYSIS</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BronzedViolets/pseuds/BronzedViolets'>BronzedViolets</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingkiller Chronicles - Patrick Rothfuss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Meta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:21:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,737</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23316358</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BronzedViolets/pseuds/BronzedViolets</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This is an overview of the hidden histories I was able to piece together, and a general timeline for which these events occurred.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. THE 30,000-FOOT VIEW</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I originally wrote this piece in 2014 and when I did a re-read of the books I thought I would update my notes. </p>
<p>If this seems over the top please forgive me, the first draft was written after I quit smoking after maintaining a pack a day habit for about 18 years, I then finished this during the Covid 19 lockdown.</p>
<p>As I was writing this, the scope quickly expanded so for ease of reading, I divided this document into the following chapters according to some broad themes:</p>
<p>Chapter 1 - The 30,000-Foot View. This is an overview of the hidden histories I was able to piece together, and a general timeline for which these events occurred.</p>
<p>Chapter 2 – Good and Evil. This is an overview of what we know about the enemy, the seven and the scrael, the Amyr, the Singers and the Sithe.</p>
<p>Chapter 3 – People. This chapter deals with the people we meet and any theories I have about them (Denna, Bredon / the Patron, the Tinkers, Caudicus)</p>
<p>Chapter 4 –Things. This chapter touches on the many mysterious objects Kvothe is reputed to have (his swords and rings, with a side order of Tabourlin’s gear)</p>
<p>Chapter 5 – Places. This chapter visits the places we hear about and the stories behind them (Newarre, Tinuë, Drossen Tor, the Faen realm, and the Way Stones)</p>
<p>Chapter 6 - Things Better Left Unopened. This chapter touches things that were locked away (the lockless box, the copper panel, the doors of stone and Kvothe’s very own triple locked box).</p>
<p>Chapter 7 – Loose Threads. This chapter summarizes the rest of my theories that really did not fit neatly anywhere else but that seem significant…</p>
<p>Finally, autocorrect seems adamant that the Chandrian are being pursued by a woman named Amy… Sigh… If I missed any I apologize.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">The Beginning</span>
</p>
<p>At the beginning, the world was spun out of the nameless void by Aleph who gave everything a name / found the names all things already possessed (NOTW-7-54 / NDV-7-70). There was only one world with only one sky. In this world lived ancient creatures like Felurian and Cthaeh. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> 5,300+ years ago </span>
</p>
<p>Somewhere between time immemorial and 5,300 years ago, the great Namers walked the earth. They were not mortal but they were not fae either. They were “those with their eyes open who knew the deep names of things” (WMF-102-669 / PDS2-28-217). They had an empire filled with wondrous cities and old magic. Relics still exist today, such as the Admere swords, force field rocks (WMF-146-951 / PDS2-72-571), and maybe even the magic Denna talks of. This might have been similar to Felurian’s magic of grammarie “making things be”, and glamourie “making things seem” (WMF-101-663 / PDS2-27-209).</p>
<p>There appears to have been two groups of Namers - the Knowers and the Shapers, and there was tension between them. Per Felurian, the Shapers used their art to make Fae and the stars in it, but one Shaper wanted to do more, he was the first and greatest Shaper and she will not name him even though he is shut beyond the doors of stone (WMF-102-670 / PDS2-28-218). </p>
<p>We can assume this Shaper was Jax (Iax). Per Bast (WMF-105-688 / PDS-31-240), he talks to Cthaeh and then attempts to steal the moon. Jax fails and the moon is trapped between, endlessly waxing and waning between the two realms. Felurian states that this theft ended any hope for peace between the two groups (WMF-102-668 / PDS2-28-216). It also has the effect of radically changing the world. The mortal world and the faen realm are separated and the waystone gates that linked them only open when the moon is full. When the moon is full in the mortal world it is easier to leave Fae, and when the moon is full in the faen realm, it is easier to go the other way; that is why “a wise man views a moonless night with fear” (WMF-102-672 / PDS2-28-220).</p>
<p>This story is also passed down through the oral tradition. For example, Hespe tells a story about a boy named Jax who lived at the end of a broken road (WMF-86-568 / PDS2-12-85) and steals the moon out of the sky by calling her name (Ludis) and trapping part of her in a box. (WMF-88-594 / PDS2-14-118)</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> 5,000 years ago </span>
</p>
<p>The war that started when Jax stole the moon has been raging for centuries. Per Skarpi, it is between the Ergen Empire and their enemy. Per Shehyn, it is between the people who would become the Admere and the enemy. Per Felurian, the factions are composed of the Knowers and the Shapers. </p>
<p>Per Skarpi, hundreds of cities were destroyed until finally there were only eight cities left: </p><ul>
<li>Belen;</li>
<li>Antus;</li>
<li>Vaeret;</li>
<li><span class="u">Tinusa;</span></li>
<li>Emlen;</li>
<li>Murilla;</li>
<li>Murella; and, </li>
<li>Myr Tariniel (NOTW-26-184 / NDV-26-213). </li>
</ul>
<p>Felurian is able to confirm the name of Murella as she once visited there (WMF-102-669 / PDS2-28-217), whereas the Admere history has only retained the name of Tariniel (WMF-128-844 / PDS2-54-432). Denna was also able to find the name of Mirinitel (Myr Tariniel) in the course of her research (WMF-73-493 / PDS1-73-562). </p>
<p>Myr Tariniel was the gem of the empire, carved high into the mountain. The city and its people were defended by the Namer Selitos. Skarpi mentions that the only Namers that could match him in power were Aleph, Iax and Lyra. I am assuming this was Aleph who created the world and Iax (Jax) who stole the moon.  Lyra was a powerful and terrible Namer whose voice could kill or calm a storm (NOTW-26-184 / NDV-26-213). She is married to the great and handsome warrior Lanre. He is considered the best of them and beyond reproach. I am not sure if it is significant, but Skarpi refers to Lanre as a Warrior not a Namer.</p>
<p>Working together, Lanre and Lyra save Belen from a surprise attack and they manage to turn the tide of the war. Everything finally comes to a head during the three-day battle of <b>Drossen Tor</b> (where Cesura’s third bearer died). Lanre defeats a beast with scales of black iron but is killed. The battle is finished and the enemy (presumably Jax) is set behind doors of stone (NOTW-26-185 / NDV-26-214).  It is not clear in the story who kills Lanre or who imprisons Jax.</p>
<p>Lyra uses her power to bring Lanre back from the dead, and although they won that battle and continue to drive the rest of their enemies back, they go on to lose the war. </p>
<p>Through deceit and treachery, Lyra loses her life. We know that Lanre goes to Cthaeh (WMF-105-688 / PDS2-31-240) prior to his betrayal of Myr Tariniel. I don’t think it is stated explicitly in the text, but it was presumably to find a way to bring Lyra back. He fails and the knowledge comes at a terrible price (NOTW-26-189 / NDV-26-218). He becomes Haliax and his name burns with power that no door can resist. It was a terrible mistake though, as he cannot bring Lyra back, but he cannot die and join her either. He is like the moon, torn between two worlds. The doors of the mind Kvothe mentions (NOTW-18-129 / NDV-18-150) are all closed to him: he cannot sleep, he cannot forget, he cannot go mad and he cannot die. All he can do is hope for oblivion when all is gone and the Aleu fall from the sky (NOTW-26-189 / NDV-26-219).</p>
<p>In the words of Selitos, grief twists his heart and passion drives him to folly. All that is left for him is to watch the world burn. He corrupts an additional six people from each of the remaining cities and together the seven plan an ambush. Lanre arrives in Myr Tariniel dressed in armour made from the slain beast and so that his old friend cannot raise the alarm, he binds him <b>thrice</b> - once with the name of stone - <em> silanxi, </em> once with the name of air - <em> arehu, </em> and once with his true name – <em> selitos. </em></p>
<p>With Selitos a helpless witness, Myr Tariniel and six of the seven remaining cities are razed.  It is not specified which city survived but Skarpi calls it a sign of hope and the Adem believe it is because one of the seven followed the way of the Lethani (WMF-128-844 / PDS2-54-432). Personally, I have my doubts. If Lanre talked to Cthaeh before making this plan in the end, it is probably for the worst that the city survived.</p>
<p>The next morning as he looks over the devastation, Selitos puts out his own eye with a sharp stone so that he will never again be sightless and curses Lanre so that his face will always be in shadow, his name used against him, and that he will never know peace until the Aleu fall (NOTW 26-190 / NDV-26-220). This story is independently confirmed by Cthaeh who mentions Haliax has not slept for over 5,000 years.</p>
<p>Per Skarpi’s second story, in the aftermath of the battle, the survivors gather around Aleph and he gives them a choice. They can avenge their losses or he can give them power. If they chose power, it is on the condition that they can only punish or reward what they witness from that day forth.</p>
<p>Selitos One-Eye and some of the Ruach decline. They become the Amyr in memory of their lost city (NOTW-28-198 / NDV-28-227).</p>
<p>Nine accept Aleph’s bargain. They are: </p><ul>
<li>Tehlu (the greatest among them);</li>
<li>Tall Kirel who was burned and found in the cinders of Myr Tariniel;</li>
<li>Enlas a vegetarian pacifist who had never said anything mean;</li>
<li>Lecelte who always laughed;</li>
<li>Imet not yet a man who killed fast and never cried;</li>
<li>Deah who lost two husbands and whose face mouth and heart were as cold and hard as stone;</li>
<li>Geisa who had a million admirers before and was raped by the enemy;</li>
<li>Ordal the youngest with colourful ribbons in her golden hair; and,</li>
<li>Andan whose name means anger whose face was a mask with burning eyes. </li>
</ul>
<p>Aleph gives them wings of fire, shadow, iron, glass, stone and blood and then says their names and they burn up and out of mortal view and they wander around dispensing justice (NOTW-28-198 / NDV-28-227).</p>
<p>Once again, Felurian somewhat corroborates Skarpi’s story as she tells Kvothe the original Amyr were not human (WMF-99-652 / PDS2-25-195).</p>
<p>Over the next few millennia, this story is passed down through the oral tradition. In the Adem’s version, the fact that their people came to Admere because their native lands had been destroyed had been retained but the name of the old country had been lost (WMF-115-760 / PDS2-41-332). In hindsight based on the names of the last cities in Skarpi’s version, I would think they were originally from either Murilla or Murella. </p>
<p>In addition to the Adem lore, a very garbled version of the story becomes the canon of the Tehlin religion “the Book of the Path.” Per Trapis (possibly a former priest) who cared for the street children in Tarbean, Tehlu is a religious figure who, through a woman called Perial, was born as a mortal (NOTW-23-165 / NDV-23-192). Tehlu takes the name of Menda and is described as having coal black hair and eyes (NOTW-23-167 / NDV-23-193).  </p>
<p>Encanis and his demons play the role of Jax and the Seven. In particular, there are clear parallels between Haliax and Encanis. The latter is represented as wearing a black mask and black robes, and no matter where he goes shadows hide his face. His path is said to be marked by black frost (similar to Cinder bringing the cold). Similar to the Chandrian, the demons are said to be the first six people who refused to follow Tehlu (NOTW-1-5 / NDV-1-16). Similar to the fae, they are said to fear only iron, fire, and the name of God. We can safely assume the demon’s names are probably not accurate though, as they are cited in the Book of the path as well as Daeonica and other theatre pieces (WMF-14-129 / PDS1-14-151) and the Chandrian have not being popping up at Church services and plays. </p>
<p>Tehlu was also said to create angels, but we can assume they are described in the book of the path differently than described by Skarpi, as his story gets him arrested for heresy. In the Tehlin texts, the first person to follow him is Rengen son of Engen, who becomes Wereth (NOTW-23-169 / NDV-23-195). There must be some similarities though, as we know Ordal and Andan are mentioned by name in the book of the path as a) Nina paints the Amyr from the vase under their names (NOTW-82-625 / NDV-82-704), and b) Marten prays to them during the battle against the bandits (WMF-91-616 / PDS2-17-148). </p>
<p>Finally, like Lanre, Tehlu sacrifices himself to kill the demon Encanis, and like Aleph’s angels, he tells the people that if he is needed and they invoke him according to the rule he will come back to judge and punish (NOTW-23-173 / NDV-23-200). This supposedly takes place in Artur, where Tehlu burns Encanis on an iron wheel in a pit 5 feet long and 6 feet deep. I would not be surprised if Artur was built in the place where the battle of Drossen Tor took place.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> 5,000 to 300 years ago </span>
</p>
<p>Throughout the next 5,000 years, the Chandrian are pursued by the Amyr, the Singers, and the Sithe (NOTW-16-123 / NDV-16-144). </p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> 300 years ago </span>
</p>
<p>Either church or emperor Nalto (WMF-39-339) officially disbanded the Amyr. They may have continued to work unofficially “for the greater good.” </p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> Approximately 25 years ago </span>
</p>
<p>Kvothe is born to parents Laurian and Arliden (WMF-36-275 / PDS1-36-319)</p>
<p>Mother was a noble, had relatives at Three Crossings, represented Lord Greyfallow, wore his colours of green and grey, as they travelled around the Commonwealth (NOTW-8-56 / NDV-8-73).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> Approximately 10-15 years ago </span>
</p>
<p>Kvothe (aged 11) meets Abernethy (NOTW-12-90 / NDV 12-111)</p>
<p>The Chandrian kill the troop when Kvothe is 12 years old (NOTW-12-110 / NDV-12-131)</p>
<p>Kvothe (aged 12 to 15) lives on the streets of Tarbean (NOTW-20-146 / NDV-20-169)</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> Approximately 2-10 years ago </span>
</p>
<p>Kvothe (aged 15) is admitted to the University (NOTW-36-240 / NDV-20-272)</p>
<p>He has adventures, Trebon, the Adem, Felurian, and the Maer etc.</p>
<p>From here on in there will be the stories we have not heard yet. We know he has triumphs:</p>
<p>Freed a princess from a king’s burial mound, talked to Gods (NOTW-6-51 / NDV-6-71)</p><ul>
<li>The name of the princess was Ariel (WMF-2-20 / PDS1-2-29),</li>
<li>Was that Auri, a new character, or Ariel in as in Myr Tariniel</li>
<li>Was never on good terms with God (NOTW-6-45 / NDV-6-59)</li>
</ul>
<p>He counseled kings (NOTW13-98 / NDV-13-118)</p>
<p>We know there were things that were less good: </p><ul>
<li>He told hard lies and even harder truths (NOTW-48-338 / NDV-48-382)</li>
<li>He allegedly stole magic secrets from the University (WMF-2-20 / PDS1-2-28)</li>
</ul>
<p>WMF-127-839 / PDS2-53-425 the whole bit with ‘anger’; he is nothing but a branch that will never bear fruit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> Two years ago </span>
</p>
<p>Kvothe takes Bast on as his pupil (NOTW-13-97 / NDV-13-117), and in that time Bast sees Denna once.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> Slightly less than two years ago </span>
</p>
<p>Approximately two years before the Chronicler comes to the Waystone Inn (NOTW-6-45/ NDV-6-60), something tragic happens. The exact events are not described, but it is clear that whatever it was it was so bad that there is no hope of things every being right ever again. Kvothe is still alive, but he is just like a fireplace which “held the heat of a long dead fire” (NOTW-Prologue-1 / NDV-PROLOGUE-11). As mentioned before, it has to be pretty damn bad if it is worse than the Chandrian killing the troop.</p>
<p>Kvothe talks mostly about the event in general terms i.e., he “played, voyaged, loved, lost the game, trusted, and was betrayed” (NOTW-6-48 / NDV-6-63).</p>
<p>I suspect the event involves Denna, as Bast has only seen her once. </p>
<p>We also know:</p><ul>
<li>Aaron the Smith’s apprentice calls him the “King Killer” (WMF-2-20 / PDS1-2-28),</li>
<li>The drunk well-dressed traveler in the Newarre Inn talks about how Kvothe killed someone in Imre next to a fountain and the paving stones could never be mended (NOTW-3-28 / NDV-3-41); I suspect he was referring to the fountain in front of the Eolian with the statues of satyrs and nymphs (WMF-5-38 / PDS1-5-47).</li>
<li>People say he tricked a demon to get his heart’s desire and killed an angel to keep it (NOTW-6-47 / NDV-6-62)</li>
<li>He admits that he killed men and creatures who were more than men but they all deserved it (NOTW-6- 46/ NDV-6-61)</li>
<li>He also admits that it is his fault, “the scrael, the war” (NOTW-88-669 / NDV-88-752).</li>
</ul>
<p>What is unclear is if this was multiple perspectives on one event, or a series of events, or a mixture of the two. For example, did he kill a king, then an angel, and then start a war? Did he start the war by killing an angel king?</p>
<p>Whatever happened, there is a price on his head (NOTW-6-43 / NDV6-58), it is a million royals and a duchy (WMF-2-20 / PDS1-2-29) so he cuts his losses and runs. Everyone thinks he is dead (NOTW-6-46 / NDV-6-60) (Who is everyone? Are any of his friends still alive?). He heads to the middle of nowhere (Newarre) to wait.</p>
<p>When he gets there, all of his scars are old except for one (NOTW-3-30 / NDV-3-43). Is it from a scrael attack? From faking his death?</p>
<p>We can safely assume that the implications of the event are a little broader than a war or a dead king. The book gives the clear impression that things are going to hell in the four corners of civilization, it cannot be stopped, and it is just going to get worse.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> One year ago </span>
</p>
<p>One year ago, Kvothe arrives in Newarre and purchases the Waystone Inn (NOTW-1-5 / NDV-1-15). </p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> The Present </span>
</p>
<p>No music, no singing -&gt; something happened to sour it for him</p>
<p>Knows with bleak certainty the winter will be long (NOTW-3-32 / NDV-3-46)</p>
<p>Like Denna, he is not sure why he didn’t die (NOTW-5-42 / NDV-5-55) and he doesn’t sleep much anymore (WMF-151-984 / PDS2-77-608)</p>
<p>Kvothe spends three days telling the Chronicler his story</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u"> The Future </span>
</p>
<p>We already know how it will end; the silence waiting like an endless in-drawn breath with the patient cut flower sound of a man waiting to die.</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Good and Evil</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Please note I get lazy and the page numbers are either in French or English not both, sorry!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>AMYR</p>
<p>As mentioned above, the Amyr were founded by Selitos and the some of the Ruach who wanted justice for Myr Tariniel but who refused the offer of power from Aleph the Namer (NDV-28-227).  Felurian confirms that the original Amyr weren’t human but the later ones were (PDS2-25-195). </p>
<p>It is unclear whether the Amyr retained the knowledge of the original purpose, but by the heyday of the Arturan Empire, the Amyr were known as the knights of the church and the armed hand of the Arturan Empire (NDV-29-233). Their credo was Ivare Enim Euge which was translated as “for the greater good”. They were thought to function as travelling judges both religious and secular (NDV-38-303) and their chiefs (marked with blood red tattoos on their hands) were known as the Ciridae.</p>
<p>The Amy were officially disbanded 300 years prior by either church or emperor Nalto (PDS1-39-339), although Marotte believes it had to be the church if they were the ones that had created the order (PDS1-40-347).</p>
<p>No official church records of the First Amyr. All information about them was censored, modified or destroyed (PDS1-48-396)</p>
<p>There appears to be a tentative connection with the Edema Ruh in their names “Ruach” versus Ruh. In addition, Ilien, the great Edema Ruh bard wrote “the lai of Sir Savien Traliard” about an Amyr (Savien) who lost his love Aloine, then found her then lost her again. Savien apparently spent 6 years with the Amyr - three proving himself and three training (NDV-56-444).</p>
<p>The Amyr on the vase is represented as tall, armour and helm, shield, on chest the burned tower, red hands, so angry he could burn the world whole (PDS1-35-311)</p>
<p>When they are researching the Amyr to settle their bet, they come across mentions of pagan orgies and waystones (PDS1-39-337)</p>
<p>The Duke of Gibea (who killed 20 thousand people in the pursuit of the greater good) was a secret Amyr (PDS1-41-350)</p>
<p>Cthaeh confirms the Amyr are still around (PDS2-30-228) and that the Maer can bring him to the Amyr and that one-day, he will appreciate the joke (PDS2-30-229). What is the joke? Are the Amyr the arcanists? The old Namers? The Ruh?</p>
<p>Auri says with his bloody hands he looks like the Ciridaes, chiefs of the Amyr marked by tattoos on their hands (PDS1-23-227)</p>
<p>Simmon also compares him to the Amyr but not in a flattering way as he does what he thinks is right without always thinking it through first (PDS1-41-354)</p>
<p>When he kills the bandits in the Eld, his hands are black with blood (PDS2-17-144)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>THE SINGERS</p>
<p>With respect to the Singers, they haven’t come up yet in the books that I have noticed, aside from numerous references to music. The only thing of note I found was that the French translation calls them the “chantres” which ominously translates more directly to “eulogists”. I have no idea why they are after the Chandrian.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>THE SITHE</p>
<p>With respect to the Sithe, they are the Fae who hunt the skin changers and wear crowns of holly (PDS1-2-21). They are also charged with shooting down anyone who approaches Cthaeh’s tree and tracking down and killing anyone who spoke to it. As we know Lanre talked to Cthaeh, and Cinder must have had contact with it too as Cthaeh mentions Cinder had “done him a bad turn”, that would be reason enough for the Sithe to hunt the Chandrian to the ends of the earth.  </p>
<p>As a side note, the woman wearing a demon mask at Midwinter in Tarbean was named Holly (NDV-22-183). Is that a coincidence, or were her and Gerrek (the gentleman in the Encanis mask) two of the Sithe? </p>
<p>Interestingly enough, the word “sith” is archaic English for “ever since” which is similar to Aleph’s Angels mandate for justice “from this day forth” </p>
<p>They are also similar to the Amyr in that the Sithes are Fae with “good intentions” (PDS2-31-237), they are acting for what they believe is the greater good.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>THE ANGELS</p>
<p>I am unclear as to whether the Angels as created by Aleph in Skarpi’s story are the Sithe or something entirely different. </p>
<p>When he names Felurian his power shines on his forehead like a white star (PDS2-23-181) similar to the story of Aleph creating angels (get quotes). So are the angels arcanists? Namers?</p>
<p>CTHAEH</p>
<p>There is not a lot of backstory provided on Cthaeh but the barebones is all as follows: </p>
<p>-He is older than the fae realm;<br/>-He never leaves his tree;<br/>-The powder blue flowers of the tree are the “Rhinna”- the panacea for all sickness and injury (PDS2-31-237)<br/>-He never lies <br/>-Sometimes he bites or clouds people’s eyes (PDS2-30-233)<br/>-He was also responsible for the creations of the Nameless and the Scaendyne (PDS2-31-240)</p>
<p>In addition, everyone he talks to becomes like a plague ship, where every action they take has the worst possible consequences. For example, Jax talked to Cthaeh before stealing the moon and Lanre talked to Cthaeh before betraying Myr Tariniel (PDS2-31-240). This appears to be equally true for Kvothe as after he talked to him, his actions resulted in the unleashing the scrael, and starting the war (NDV-88-752).</p>
<p>Question:<br/>Where was Cthaeh before there were two worlds? How did the tree end up in Fae? Was that the trick that Cinder played? <br/>THE CHANDRIAN:</p>
<p>Chaen-dian means seven of them in Temic, the language that preceded Tema by 1,000 years (NOTW-12). The Admere call them the Rhinta (PDS2-50-391). It may be significant that Rhinta is similar to the word Rhinna, the flowers of Cthaeh’s tree (PDS2-31-237). Did they eat the flowers and that is why they can’t die? Was that Cinder’s trick?</p>
<p>They are both more than and less than men. It is unclear if that is part of their curse, or if that is because they come from a time when there was only one world and mortals and fae were not separate creatures yet.</p>
<p>Since the confrontation with Selitos in Myr Tariniel 5,000 ago, they have traveled around the world, wreaking destruction, pursued by the Amyr, the Singers and the Sithe. There are a multitude of little rhymes written about them:</p>
<p>When the hearth fire turns to blue. What to do? What to do? Run outside. Run and hide. When your bright sword turns to rust? Who to trust? Who to trust?  Stand alone, standing stone (NDV-72-617). </p>
<p>See a woman pale as snow? Silent come and silent go. What’s their plan? What’s their plan? Chandrian. Chandrian (NDV-72-617). </p>
<p>While they are obviously evil, when Kvothe hears Haliax talking to Cinder, it becomes clear that they do have a purpose, something they want to accomplish (NDV-16-144). When Kvothe’s parents were writing a song about Lanre they found a number of clues that may have indicated what this was. Unfortunately, Arliden and Laurian were brutally murdered before anyone heard the song in its entirety. They only performed one verse for the troop (NDV-15-135) and all it really says is that Lanre loved Lyra “fought, fell, rose again, to fall again” pretty much exactly as Skarpi describes in his story (Similar to Ilien and Kvothe himself).</p>
<p>Although the Chandrian kill with swords, they seem to have a number of powers. For one they can “teleport” or at least Haliax can, as Kvothe sees them all rush into the shadows and vanish after murdering the troop (source). This is again reflected in a children’s rhyme:</p>
<p>The Chandrian move from place to place, but they never leave a trace (WMF-14-152).</p>
<p>They are colloquially associated with numerous signs such as: blue fire, plants die, wood rots, metal rusts, brick crumbles, animals go crazy, cold, wine sours, harvest rots, storms, miscarriage, unseasonable storms, the sun going dark in the sky, blindness, shadows behave strangely. Per Cthaeh they have recently learned to hide their signs, which is a fairly ominous development (PDS2-30-230).</p>
<p>It also appears that Selitos’s curse that Haliax’s own name would be turned against him may have had unintended consequences. If you speak their names they know, and they will find you, and they will probably kill you (PDS1-16-161). </p>
<p>They have used this ability mercilessly to ensure that people have the absolute minimum knowledge about them i.e., murdering the troop for singing “the wrong kinds of songs” and slaughtering 26 people at the Mauthen farm because they might have seen the urn.</p>
<p>Despite their best efforts, there are five decent pieces of information about them. </p>
<p>1- The Adem story which describes their signs<br/>2- Nina’s description of a one-meter tall urn covered in writing and paintings in gold and silver (NDV-82-704)<br/>3- Nina’s drawing of Cinder, Haliax, and the Amyr. She notes there were 8 people on the pot but she drew the three because she only got a good look at one side of the pot due to the curve (PDS1-35-312)<br/>4- Skarpi’s story about Lanre and the fall of Myr Tariniel.<br/>5- Kvothe saw them in person; he noted there were men and women. </p>
<p>As follows is a summary of what we know about each of the seven.</p>
<p>*sounds very similar to Jax </p>
<p>Alaxel (1)</p>
<p>Lord of the Seven<br/>Also known as Haliax or Lanre</p>
<p>“Hated. Hopeless. Sleepless. Sane. Alaxel bears the shadow’s hame.” (WMF-128-844)<br/>Sign: shadows (this could be symbolic of fires going out, or the black flame on the vase) </p>
<p>Haliax can’t sleep, can’t forget, and can’t go crazy, he can’t die, but he can hope for oblivion when all is gone and the Aleu fall (NDV-26-219).</p>
<p>*what are the Aleu?</p>
<p>He is represented on vase as wearing a hooded cloak, face shadowed, above him three moons – full, half and crescent, two candles, a yellow one with a bright flame, the other under his hand grey with a black flame (PDS1-35-311). </p>
<p>In the second version of the Lackless poem this could refer to a “candle without light.” </p>
<p>The first time Nina describes him she mentions a mirror on the ground next to him (NDV-82-704) but it doesn’t appear that she painted it.</p>
<p>Denna’s song commissioned by her patron retells his story with Lanre as a tragic hero “Song of Seven Sorrows” (PDS1-73-562)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ferule (2)</p>
<p>Also known as Cinder</p>
<p>“Ferule chill and dark of eye.” (WMF-128-844)<br/>Sign: the cold (Do Denna or Kvothe notice this or could he already hide his sign?)</p>
<p>He is described as a man with a pale sword, beautiful angular face, long wavy hair the colour of frost, pale skin, and black eyes. </p>
<p>On the vase he is represented as standing on water with snow around him and a leafless tree behind him (PDS1-35-310)</p>
<p>During the battle against the bandits in the Eld, when Marten is praying to Tehlu, Menda, Perial, Ordal and Andan and Cinder hears him (PDS2-17-147).</p>
<p>Why is he called Cinder? What was his involvement with Cthaeh? He apparently played a trick on him a long time ago? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cyphus (3)</p>
<p>“Cyphus bears the blue flame” (WMF-128-844)<br/>Sign: fires burn blue (Denna sees this at the farm and Kvothe sees this when his troop is killed)</p>
<p>This is probably the man that is not shown as he is on the back of the vase. Nina does mention flames but does not describe them at their second meeting.  He may be a bald man with a graying beard. </p>
<p>While they are hunting bandits in the Eld Marten tells a story about “Scyphus,” a King who imprisoned Tabourlin in his dungeon. In this story Tabourlin escapes by calling the name of stone and fire, then opening a box by shouting “Edro” to retrieve his cape (PDS2-9-68).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Stercus (4)</p>
<p>“Stercus is in thrall of iron” (WMF-128-844)<br/>Sign:  metal rusts (Denna sees this at the farm and Kvothe sees this when his troop is killed)</p>
<p>She is likely the figure on the vase described as holding a broken sword.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Usnea (5)</p>
<p>“Usnea lives in nothing but decay” (WMF-128-844).  <br/>Sign:  wood rots (Denna sees this at the farm and Kvothe sees this when his troop is killed)</p>
<p>This also may be the bald man with a graying beard. He may be the figure on the vase described as standing next to a dead tree.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dalcenti (6) </p>
<p>Grey Dalcenti never speaks (WMF-128-844).  <br/>Sign: I am not sure how this represents a sign…</p>
<p>As one of the children’s rhymes about the Chandrian mention a woman “white as snow, silent comes, silent goes” (NDV-72-618), we can conclude Dalcenti is a woman. On the vase, she is represented as naked / partially clothed. </p>
<p>My theory is that she was Adem, or what the Adem were before they were driven out of their homeland. The silence and the casual nudity both fit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Alenta (7)</p>
<p>Pale Alenta brings the blight (WMF-128-844).  <br/>Sign: I am not sure how this represents a sign…</p>
<p>If blight means plague, then this could be the man on the vase with a dog biting his leg. Does rabies count as a plague?</p>
<p>Hard to tell if Dalcenti and Alenta are flipped? Pale versus grey versus white?</p>
<p>Theories:</p>
<p>They want to make the Aleu fall<br/>They don’t like it when people know their names, I am assuming that is because if you know someone’s name you can bind them and that would prevent them from doing whatever it is they are trying to do?</p>
<p>This makes sense as they were willing to murder the entire troop for a song as well as 26 people who might have seen the vase at the Mauthen farm</p>
<p>When Bast is talking about Cthaeh he says he would rather fight Haliax or even the full seven and die (PDS2-77-611), this implies that whatever happens in Book 3, Haliax and the seven are still alive.<br/>SCRAEL</p>
<p>The scrael are spider-like creatures with razor legs, no mouth or eyes, and flesh like baked earth (NDV-1-19). They smell like rotten flowers and burned hair (NDV-1-21). </p>
<p>-coming over the eastern mountains and moving west (NDV-1-18)<br/>-Kote lies and says they were talking about them in Melcombe (NDV-1-19)<br/>-There is never just one and Bast would know (NDV-1-23)<br/>-corpses can be destroyed like you would a demon i.e., right things wrong reasons (NDV-1-24)<br/>-they never abandon a target (NDV-4-51)<br/>-What is their target?<br/>-burn them in a pit 10 x 2 with ash, elm, and rowan (NDV-4-51)<br/>Created by the Shapers and given an objective?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. People</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>CHARACTERS</p>
<p>Kvothe / Kote / Maedre: Kvothe chose the name “Kote” carefully when he arrived in Newarre (NOTW-1-10 / NDV-1-21); Kote means disaster in Siaru.</p>
<p>Maedre (WMF-128-842 / PDS2-54-430) is flame, thunder, and the broken tree (very much like the bandit confrontation), the name is appropriate: </p>
<p>The burning oak next to the church in Trebon (NOTW-80-614 / NDV-80-691)<br/>The title of the chapter where Kvothe has his confrontation with the bandits in the Eld (WMF-91-608 / PDS2-17-139)<br/>WMF-124-815 / PDS2-50-394 was Shehyn tells Vashet his ademic name she is shocked, but refuses to tell him why (WMF-128-842 / PDS2-54-430) </p>
<p>Vashet’s names PDS2-38-294</p>
<p>Aethe PDS2-40-321 founds the Ademre school Kvothe trains with.</p>
<p>Felurian - Kvothe promises he will return to Felurian (PDS2-24-189), does he? If he didn't, is she still waiting for him?<br/>Felurian says “amouen” again PDS2-28-213, she speaks the same language as the skin changers?</p>
<p>Chronicler - (Devan Lochees), Skarpi’s apprentice, in service of the Duke of… (NDV-6-58). It is likely that Lochees is a corruption of Lackless, which is a corruption of Lock-less.</p>
<p>Skarpi – Met him first in Tarbean, told the story of Lanre, later was living in Treya. He is more than he seems, for example how / why did he know Kvothe’s name in Tarbean? (NDV-28-231). He also knows things that happened over 5,000 ago that have been confirmed by first hand witnesses. </p>
<p>Erlus – arrests Skarpi in Tarbean (NDV-28-231)</p>
<p>Abenthy – left the troop in Hallowfell</p>
<p>Bast - Bastas, son of Remmen, prince of Twilight and the Twelyth Mael, 150 years old (NOTW-13-97 / NDV-13-117), in his room has rings of horn, leather and grass and two axes (PDS2-77-609)</p>
<p>Trapis - possibly a former priest (NDV-23-200) cared for the street children in Tarbean</p>
<p>Alder Whin in the asylum (NDV-46-369)</p>
<p>Auri – was a student, worked with Master Mandrag the chemistry teacher. He is still teaching (PDS1-7-88). She knows who the Amyr are and she seems reminiscent of Ordal the youngest of Aleph’s angels, with colourful ribbons in her golden hair. (she has golden hair, Kvothe buys her ribbons, she knows more than she should ...How does Auri know about the Amyr and the Ciridae? (PDS1-23-227) is she Ordal? Is she princess Ariane?</p>
<p>Simmon, kind and gentle, father holds the northern Duchy of Dalonir in Artur, he is the third son so will inherit nothing (PDS1-39-336) </p>
<p>Wilem - cealdish, family is merchants?</p>
<p>Maershon Lerand Alveron</p>
<p>Ambrose Jakis (NDV-43-349) heir of a Baron in Vintas, related to the royal family, the Maer, Duchess Samista, Aculeus and Melean Lackless, (Jakis is a corruption of Lackless, which is a corruption of Lock-less)</p>
<p>Caudicas – the Maer’s arcanist who is poisoning him, why? Also why poison him enough to make him sick but not to kill him? He has been with the Maer’s court for 12+ years (PDS1-59-458), is he working for someone? The university? We know when the Maer is doing better Caudicus spends a lot of time travelling (PDS1-62-484). He is eventually found hiding out a dozen kilometers away from the Maer’s palace and Dagon and the guards kill him. (PDS2-63-505) although Dagon loses an eye. The character of the silent doctor foretells catastrophe in the next act in Modegan theatre (NDV-61-488), was Caudicas playing this role?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Theory:</p>
<p>I think this is part of a larger plot to destabilize the Vintish government. For example, in addition to the Maer being poisoned, someone hired the bandits to steal the Maer’s taxes destined for the King. The bandits have good quality provisions (PDS2-19-153) and a well-organized camp so they are likely being paid well. Cinder even had a drawer filled with documents although after the assault on the camp they were too wet for Kvothe to read them (PDS2-19-155).</p>
<p>There are also a number of unfortunate events mentioned in passing i.e., Ambrose moved up the line of succession as the Surthen family all drowned (PDS1-6-69), Alaitis, the Prince Regent is killed in a duel (PDS2-63-507)</p>
<p>Calanthis birds being poisoned (last name of King of Vintas) – symbolic? (2-64-506)</p>
<p>Denna Aliases: Dianne (NDV-58-466), Dinnah (NDV-64-513), Dyanae (NDV-69-561), Diannaeh (NDV-73-627), Dinael (PDS1-5-57), Alora (PDS1-68-525), Dinay (PDS2-64-515), Dianah, Donna, Dyane (PDS-75-600)</p>
<p>Is Alora significant as it is the only name that doesn’t start with the letter D?</p>
<p>They say there was a woman, they say she… (Died? Was a prostitute? Was a denner addict?) Bottle of her favourite strawberry wine exploded before the Chronicler can finish (NDV-6-61)<br/>She has a silver ring with a blue stone (NDV-33-256)<br/>Bast saw her once, her nose was slightly crooked (NDV-57-453) – had it been broken?<br/>She reminds Kvothe of the Selas flower but her favourite is daisies (NDV-62-505)<br/>She has trouble sleeping and bad dreams (NDV-74-638)<br/>She has weak lungs as she had severe pneumonia as a baby and stopped breathing for 2 minutes, she asks herself why she is still alive (NDV-79-680)<br/>When she is in a drug induced sleep she wakes up and says “Moteth” (NDV-80-688)<br/>Is she saying “mother” in a different language? Is it someone’s name? We know she is a city girl, but which city? Is it one where they don’t speak Arturan (the common tongue)?<br/>The is something inside her that is broken (NDV-91-767)<br/>She “needs” to know how magic works (PDS1-18-170), alludes to magic that works by writing something down, and if you see it the thing comes true even if you can’t read the language (PDS1-18-177)<br/>Kote integrates this into the story he tells about the Chronicler where everything he writes down comes true. (PDS1-47-389)<br/>She rescues a young girl in Severn (PDS1-72-552) who ran away when an elder son got handsy, Denna says it is worse than looking in a mirror, then begins giving her advice on how to survive as a prostitute that is very similar to the way she is currently living. She then ask the girl if there was anything she wants so much she would pay anything for (WMF-72-486) -&gt; it is unclear if Denna is still selling herself for that “one thing” or if she had to do so in the past<br/>During their argument Kvothe almost calls her a whore but is able to stop himself (PDS1-73-565)<br/>She says she knows secret things they don’t teach at the University but she was completely unaware of the Chandrian link (PDS1-73-564)</p>
<p>Theory:</p>
<p>It is my theory that Denna becomes a denner addict after accidentally consuming the resin in Trebon. This is based on three key points. </p>
<p>Firstly, we know that chronic use of denner resin whitens the teeth (source). </p>
<p>Secondly, the night before Denna accidentally eats the denner resin, Kvothe says he goes to sleep not knowing “how foolish he is and the unexpected tragedies of the next day” (NDV-76-648). When all is said and done, there was no real tragedy apparent to me. A number of bad things happened, i.e., he killed the draccus, they didn’t get to sell the resin, but no one was killed or even grievously injured and the town was burned but not destroyed. </p>
<p>Finally, before this incident, Kvothe describes her a multitude of times. He describes her:</p>
<p>-hair; long (NOTW-219, 402), dark (NOTW-219, 400, 402, 419, 451), black (532), dark as ink (550)<br/>-looks; beautiful (219, 402), lovely (400, 451), <br/>-build; slender (420)<br/>-smile; impish (235), like the sun (532)<br/>-eyes; wide and deep (226), dark (226, 402, 406, 408, 419, 567), chocolate (400), coffee coloured (420)<br/>-skin; luminous (226), fair (402, 419), soft (411), texture of petals (443)<br/>-voice; fluting (226), lovely (420)<br/>-lips; red as berries (401), dangerous red (463)<br/>-jaw; strong and delicate (402)<br/>-face; oval (401), rosy (568)<br/>-scent; dust, honey and rain (227), flowers, green grass and rain (410), strawberry (463), warm sun, green grass, clean sweat and apples (547)</p>
<p>You will notice that not once does he ever mention her teeth. </p>
<p>When he sees her for the first time after Trebon, she is in the company of Lentaren, who is described as being thin with straight white teeth (NDV-84-709).</p>
<p>When he next sees Denna in Severn (properly, not in the dark as she is going down the lift) he remarks that her teeth were white against her travel tanned face (PDS1-64-497).</p>
<p>When he sees her next at on Tinnery street in Severn Low (PDS1-66-516) he again remarks that she “showed her white teeth in a wicked smile.”</p>
<p>When they meet in Imre the day after he saves her from asthma in Tarbean (PDS2-74-590) he mentions the “perfect whiteness of her teeth”</p>
<p>Like Selitos who failed to see the darkness within his old friend Lanre, this would be an example of Kvothe’s sightlessness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Master Ash (Denna’s patron):</p>
<p>When Kvothe misses their meeting due to the fire in the Fishery she leaves the Eolian with someone with white hair who looked rich (NDV-66-536), Denna confirms later that was the night she met her mysterious patron, a rich older gentleman who is secretive and won’t tell her his name (NDV-72-604). He is the one who brings her to the doomed Mauthen wedding. He signals her, she goes to meet him, while she is in the woods waiting she sees the fire, he intercepts her, tells her everyone is dead and then beats her to “allay suspicion” (NDV-79-682). Cthaeh later confirms her patron beats her because it is a game, and recently he has begun to hit her with his cane (PDS2-30-231). When they meet in Severn she tells Kvothe that Master Ash is an excellent dancer (PDS1-64-499), and suggests that Kvothe may have seen her patron in the Maer’s court. </p>
<p>All in all, we have a few pieces of evidence to work with. The patron has a cane, is white haired, is rich, travels, is part of the Maer’s court, and can dance.</p>
<p>Theory Bredon is Master Ash:</p>
<p>There are only two characters with canes, the Maer and Bredon. The Maer uses his cane to walk when he is ill, and Bredon has a cane with a handle in the form of a snarling dog (PDS1-57-445). I think we can immediately rule the Maer out though as only Bredon is described as having white hair (PDS1-57-445). This is in contrast to the Maer who has a salt and pepper beard and a full head of hair presumably the same colour (PDS1-54-429). Furthermore, it is unlikely the Maer had the freedom, health, or anonymity to travel. </p>
<p>With respect to the other criteria, we know Bredon is part of the Maer’s court and rich enough to own lands.  He admits he learned to dance (PDS1-57-447), he is old (PDS1-57-445), he travels (PDS1-57-445), his schedule seems to synchronize with Denna’s absences (PDS1-69-532), and finally he proudly admits he is subtle and is playing the long game (PDS1-57-447). </p>
<p>Regardless of who Master Ash is, what does he want from her?</p>
<p>-Write songs, play the harp and learn yllish knots (PDS2-73-583), why? <br/>-send her to Yll (PDS1-43-364), to Tinue, Vartheret and Andenivan (PDS2-74-585)<br/>-gets her to do genealogy research (PDS1-64-499)<br/>-Denna says he has knowledge she needs (PDS1-73-558)<br/>-he helps her write her song which retells the story of Lanre with him as a tragic hero “Song of Seven Sorrows” (PDS1-73-562), she suspects the song was destined for the Maer (PDS1-73-563)<br/>-he financed her travels around the world to reconstruct the story (PDS1-73-564)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Slightly More Far Fetched Theory:</p>
<p>Bredon / Master Ash actually one of the Seven. They can hide their signs now. Someone’s sign is the dog biting a man's leg. Bredon’s cane is a snarling dog head. Would that make him Alenta who brings the blight?<br/>This would imply that the Chandrian are the ones trying to open the box…. <br/>It is also suspicious that he allegedly takes place in pagan rites in the lands to the north similar to something from an Arturan romance (PDS1-74-569)<br/>TINKER </p>
<p>Poem (NOTW-1-15):  “A tinker’s debt is always paid: Once for any simple trade. Twice for freely given aid. Thrice for any insult made” (Eng-I-5)</p>
<p>The Tinker on the road to Trebon tried to sell him rope and strawberry wine, Kvothe refused and the Tinker was saddened (NDV-71-596). It turns out he could have used both of those items. He did take the magnet which proved instrumental in the killing of the draccus. </p>
<p>Kvothe has a similar experience on the way from Severn to the Eld where the Tinker suggests he buys sealing wax for his boots (PDS2-1-16) and he declines. Kvothe regrets this when the rains come and his boots are not waterproof (PDS2-15-122).</p>
<p>How did the Tinker know? The sealing wax for the boots was probably good sense from someone who knows the area of the Eld, but the strawberry wine, the rope and the magnet were pretty specific items to a) have and b) offer Kvothe.</p>
<p>Tehlu : « Si l’on a besoin de moi et que l’on m’invoque selon les règles, alors je reviendrai pour juger et punir » (NDV-23-200).</p>
<p>There is also the possibility that the Tinker is Fae. In WMF-102-671 / PDS2-28-219 Felurian mentions her kind walking among mortals “enshaedn, glamoured as pack mules laden”, she could mean that metaphorically or literally.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Things</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Swords<br/>Folly</p><p>Folly, whom Kvothe refers to as “a lady” is a slender and deadly sword with a dark hilt (NDV-3-37). The blade has grey-white reflections, but old and unscratched. It is possibly an Adem sword as they have a characteristic grey patina (PDS2-49-385) and never lose their edge despite their age. It is noted that it not Cesura as it lacks a hand guard, although if the guard is not part of the blade that is not conclusive evidence it is a different sword. </p><p>The sword is displayed on a plaque made of roah dark as charcoal with a black grain (NDV-3-35). Although the plaque is made of the same wood as Kvothe’s chest, he did not get them at the same time. In the first chapter of NOTW the box is already sitting reproachfully in Kvothe’s room, and it is revealed in chapter 71 of WMF that Kvothe had built the hinge-less triple locked box himself. The decision to display the sword must have been made more recently, although it took 4 months to have the wood shipped all the way from Aryen.</p><p>Cesura</p><p>He is given Saicere by the Adem, and it is to be returned to them upon his death (PDS2-52-402). Its name means to “fly, to catch, to break” (PDS2-51-404) but Kvothe feels its true name is Cesura, the characteristic pause in Vintish poems. Aaron, the smith’s apprentice in Newarre, called her Kaysera “the poet killer” (PDS1-2-30). Its first holder was Chael, then Etaine, then Finol who was killed by Gremmens at Drossen Tor. Kvothe estimates the sword is over 2,000 years old but it is actually over 5,000 years old, as we know approximately when the Blac of Drossen Tor took place.</p><p>Questions:</p><p>I don’t have theories here, just questions…</p><p>Is folly his sword? Was it even his folly that led to disaster? </p><p>Was it an Admere sword? Did someone die for him? Tempi? Vashet? Celean? Did Celean ever become a mercenary and come find Kvothe (PDS2-56-437)?</p><p>Invokes Felurian’s name (PDS2-70-557) - does he say someone else’s? He knows their true names now, is that the pride that comes before a fall?</p><p>His lute was his tangible soul (PDS1-6-64), did he turn it into the sword? Did he have knives for hands after all?</p><p>Folly and pride go hand in hand (PDS2-30-225)</p><p>We know Kvothe killed a king and his sword is known as “the poet killer.” Did Kvothe kill the Poet King of the small Kingdoms that Vashet once protected (PDS2-39-303)?</p><p>TABOURLIN<br/>There are clear parallels between Kvothe and Taborlin the great, i.e., he opens the Maer’s tax box by shouting Edro (WMF-93) and calls lightning down upon the bandits like Taborlin the great (WMF-92). He also has many of the same accoutrements i.e., amulet, key, coin, sword, staff and cape (NDV-1-14)</p><p>Amulet:<br/>Arcanist’s Florin? <br/>The charm he gives to Nina?<br/>Kvothe’s gram? He loses the first one when his ship sinks but he builds a second one (PDS2-71-561)</p><p>Key<br/>Auri gives him a key to the moon (NDV-53-419)</p><p>Coin<br/>A man named Gerrek is wearing the Encanis mask at Midwinter gives him a silver talent in a scene reminiscent of the scene in Daeonica when Tarsus sells his soul (NDV-22-183).</p><p>Candle:<br/>Auri gives him a lavender candle filled with good dreams (PDS1-11-123)</p><p>Sword:<br/>Cesura or Folly?</p><p>Staff:</p><p>Kvothe doesn’t have one (yet) although the Maer, Bredon / Maitre Frêne have canes. The Tinker in the story about Jax had one too.<br/>Sceop who was on the road to Tinuë but joined the Edema instead in Kvothe’s story (PDS1-37-331)</p><p>Cape:</p><p>Felurian makes him a Shaed made of shadow, sewn together with rays of light PDS2-26-207</p><p> </p><p>Speculation:</p><p>Will this tie into opening one the boxes?</p><p> </p><p>KVOTHE’S RINGS </p><p>Kvothe’s rings have apparently entered into legend (PDS1-2-31) in the following rhyme:</p><p>On his first hand he wore rings of stone,<br/>Iron, amber, wood, and bone.</p><p>There were rings unseen on his second hand, <br/>One was blood in a flowing band<br/>One of air all whisper thin,<br/>And the ring of ice had a flaw within,<br/>Full faintly shone the ring of flame,<br/>And the final ring was without name.</p><p>Stone:<br/>He doesn’t have one yet, but Tehlu and the angels have wings of stone, and Fela made a stone ring. Elodin suggests his students look for the small names of: iron, fire, water, wood, stone (PDS1-13-140). When Fela finds the name of stone she makes a ring in front of the class to demonstrate her mastery and wears the ring as proof of her talent. Elodin clarifies she needs to wear it on her left hand as the right hand means something different (PDS1-43-367)</p><p>Iron:<br/>He doesn’t have one yet but Tehlu and the angels have wings of iron. He had some rings of iron at the Maer’s court but he returned them all (source).</p><p>Amber:<br/>He doesn’t have one yet, but amber is referenced several times as protection from evil / demons (PDS-26-201).</p><p>Wood:<br/>Auri gives him a ring of wood to keep his secrets (NDV-87-732) and Meluan gave him a ring of wood to show her contempt (PDS2-66-532).</p><p>Bone:<br/>Stapes gives him a ring of bone to show his gratitude. (PDS1-64-509)</p><p>Blood:<br/>Tehlu and the angels have wings of blood, also this could relate to the son in the lackless  rhyme.</p><p>Air:<br/>Kvothe tells Elodin he has a namer’s ring of air (PDS2-75-601)</p><p>Ice:<br/>Not yet...</p><p>Flame:<br/>Not yet…</p><p>Nameless Ring:<br/>He doesn’t have a ring without a name. As a side note in the French translation it is  “Et le dernier était sans aveu.” <br/>In French, “sans aveu” can mean without morals / scruples. Could this be a ring he is wearing against his wishes? </p><p> </p><p>Misc.<br/>A ring of grass signifies courtship, leather is service, horn is enmity (PDS1-65-511). Before Denna sang him Lanre’s song, Kvothe was absently weaving her a ring of grass.</p><p>Felurian gives Kvothe a ring made out of leaves PDS2-32-244</p><p> </p><p>Speculation:</p><p>Like with the other objects I can’t help but feel this will tie into opening one of the boxes. I also wonder if one of the rings is a wedding ring?</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Places</h2></a>
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    <p>Fae</p><p>Theory: Fae and Kvothe’s world are superimposed (similar to the idea of the world and the “underneath” from Stranger Things). The waystones / standing stones are present in both worlds and can function as a doorway. The scrael, the skinchangers etc. come from over the mountains in both Fae and the “real world”. </p><p>If that is true, where is the tree? Would it be a moot point if the tree was far away from a waystone passage? </p><p>The world of Fae is awake in a way the other world isn’t PDS2-26-200<br/>There are a million doorways between the two worlds PDS2-28-219<br/>They fear iron, fire, elm, ash and copper blades PDS2-28-220 (didn’t marten or someone tell a story where Tabourling had a copper sword?)<br/>Fae lose some power in the mortal world PDS2-28-220</p><p>Is magic closer to the surface on the faen side? is that why the amazing magic doesn’t exist in the mortal world anymore?<br/>PIERRE DRESSÉS</p><p>Pierre dressés versus levées, bring luck (NDV-14-125)<br/>Good place to rest, mark the way to Fae (NDV-14-127)<br/>Waystones possible trade route or when the moon is full the arched standing stones become a passage into Fae (PDS1-39-338)</p><p>When your bright sword turns to rust? Who to trust? Who to trust?  Stand alone, standing stone (NDV-72-617) </p><p>L’auberge de la pierre levée<br/>Spends the summer with them after the troop is killed (NDV-18-152)<br/>Talks all night with Denna there after they first met (NDV-33-256)<br/>The hill where they first see the draccus has them (NDV-74-636)<br/>There is one by the stone bridge to the University - Simmon calls them pagan relics (PDS1-36-316)<br/>They sit by one one Denna first sings her song about Lanre (PDS1-73-560)<br/>He exits Fae through a pair PDS2-32-346 (presumably he entered through them too?)/Leaves Fae through the waystones PDS2-32-246<br/>PDS2-52-409 his second test (the stone challenge?) there is one<br/>When he meets Denna outside of Imre the day after he saves her in Tarbean they go and sit by one (PDS2-74-587)</p><p>Tinuё</p><p>The road to Tinuё<br/>Idiom – how is the road to Tinuё (NDV-41-326)<br/>All roads lead to Tinuë (PDS2-14-111)<br/>Near the end of the Creation war there were only 8 cities left: Belen, Antus, Varet, Tinusa, Emelen, Murilla &amp; Murella, and Myr Tariniel. All burned but one… (NDV-26-23)</p><p>My theory is that city was Tinusa (later the free city of Tinuë)</p><p> </p><p>WHERE IS NEWARRE?</p><p>50 km from Rannish (NDV-1-15), 3km from an old stone bridge &amp; near Baedn (NDV-1-17), <br/>Road Baedn-Bryt (NDV-1-20), there is a Count of Baedn-Bryt who is in Treya (NDV-6-63) <br/>Road to nowhere (NOTW-1-20)<br/>Near Resavek and the Penitent King (NDV-1-28)<br/>Gué d’Abbott<br/>Aryen is 4 months away (NDV-3-34) <br/>L’auberge de la pierre levée<br/>Near Menat (Meneras) there are rebels<br/>Near Rannish (NDV-4-47)<br/>Several dozen inhabitants (NDV-6-57)</p><p>There are Selas vines growing near the inn, does that indicate Vintas (WMF-Prologue-9)<br/>Kote mentions the ransom on Kvothe’s head is a million royals (PDS1-2-29) which is Vintish currency, the soldiers who rob the inn also have royals (WMF-62-493) </p><p>We know it is not in Ceald as someone probably would have commented on his name (Kote) meaning disaster in Siaru.</p><p>Vintas: Renere, Severn, Crossen (PDS2-13-94), Fenhill (PDS2-19-156), Levinshir (PDS2-58-458), possibly Felton (PDS2-63-512)</p><p> </p><p>Artur = Drossen Tor</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Things Better Left Unopened</h2></a>
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    <p>In the course of the books so far, there is a strong theme of things better left unopened. In particular there are:<br/>The Copper Panel in the Library<br/>The Lackless Box / Door<br/>The Doors of Stone<br/>Kvothe’s Triple Locked Box</p><p>With respect to the first three items, I have a strong suspicion that one or more of them was opened and as a result, Kvothe was forced to seal something away in return in his triple locked box. There is fairly heavy, foreshadowing to this effect. </p><p>For example: </p><p>To his great misfortune locked doors never kept him out (NDV-90-761), this thought is repeated in PDS1-4-45 when he states that his talents for getting into places he was unwanted was “more the pity”</p><p>This chapter will examine what we know about these four objects.</p><p> </p><p>COPPER PANEL</p><p>It is in the library with 4 un-oxidized copper plates (NDV-43-343)<br/>No handle, no hinge, massive stone block<br/>Each panel has a keyhole<br/>VALARITAS<br/>Fela dreamt that Valaritas was the name of an ancient King whose tomb was behind the door (PDS1-25-242)<br/>Valaritas is also embossed on the front cover of the deluxe hardcover edition of the Name of the Wind under the dust jacket.</p><p>This is similar to the copper doors in the asylum (NDV-46-373) and the copper wires in the walls, there are also copper tubes all over the Underthing where Auri is hiding (NDV-87-734)</p><p>Does it act as a Faraday cage? They can be built of copper mesh and protect from electromagnetic fields<br/>Elodin says CYAERSALIEN to make the wall dissolve around it (NDV-46-374) </p><p>The most logical thing to keep in a library would be books. It seems unlikely you would store something dangerous / explosive / corrosive / deadly under such a precious collection of knowledge. Conversely, it seems unlikely you would build a library over something volatile.</p><p>My theory is that it is a storage room with all of the culled books from the last 300 years that mention the Amyr (PDS1-48-398). It makes sense that they would hide books in a temperature controlled safe place, and given Master Loren’s attitude, it is more likely that if the University had a hand in it that, they would hide the books rather than destroy them. They also have people travelling the world to get new books, so they would be well placed to abscond with books they don’t want circulating. Maybe Valaritas mean “good”, as in the greater good? If the University was mixed up with the Amyr, this would explain why Brandeur mentions to Hemme that they “must all take precautions, you know why…” (NDV-40-320), and would also shed new light to why Loren would discourage Kvothe from looking into the Amyr / Chandrian the way he did on his first Library visit. </p><p>Maybe four of the Masters have the keys? Is this the “secret knowledge” (PDS1-2-28) that Kvothe steals?</p><p>Under the University he finds many things, some which may be worth  mentioning later (NDV-90-757)<br/>LACKLESS BOX</p><p>Kvothe’s mother Laurian is likely actually Natalia Lackless, Meluan Lackless’ sister who ran off with an Edema Ruh and was disinherited (PDS1-74-568), when he sees her first she is very familiar (PDS1-67-519), she has chestnut hair and brown eyes (PDS2-65-520)</p><p> </p><p>The Lackless family is ancient and was more important in the past (PDS1-59-461), in the oldest part of their lands in the ancestral mansion there is a secret door, it has with no hinges, no handle and no lock (lockless), no one knows what is on the other side (PDS1-59-461)</p><p>The bandits are attacking the tax collectors on the Lackless lands (WMF).</p><p>They have only been “Lackless” for 600 year (PDS1-62-485), variations include: Loeclos, Locklos, Loeloes, Lockless, Lack-key, Laclith, Kaepcan 1,000 years before the fall of Atur they were Loeclos (PDS1-62-486)</p><p> </p><p>The Lackless box (PDS2-65-520):</p><p>-They have a box, 10 stone (140+ lbs), banded with copper, you press on the side panels to open (lockless) <br/>-Inside it is a second smaller box the size of a bread box, the keyhole is just a circle, Meluan keeps the key around her neck. <br/>-inside there is a third box the size of a book,<br/>-it is dark enough to be roah but it has a deep red grain<br/>-it look like a spicewood and smells of lemons, it is maddeningly familiar<br/>-dark and smooth as stone, very heavy, no hinges or obvious lid</p><p>Meluan and Kvothe independently estimate that the Lackless box is at least 3,000 years old, but I would not be surprised if their calculations were off, as Kvothe underestimated the age of Cesura by 3,000 years.</p><p>-There are carvings in the sides reminiscent of Yllish story knots<br/>-he is not sure what type of wood it is but he guesses for it to be that old it could be something similar to  rennel or hornbeam. He thinks there is a high metal content, iron / copper - both not loved by the Fae<br/>-fewer than 10 people have seen it<br/>-it is an heirloom<br/>-something inside is glass or stone<br/>-they don’t know what is inside but it could be precious, historical, dangerous, useful<br/>*he mentions someone at the University might be able to translate it, then when he returns to the University Chancellor Herma (who was teaching him Yllish) falls ill and Medica can’t heal him- coincidence?</p><p>Theory:<br/>The Lackless Box is made of the wood of Cthaeh’s tree. Kvothe says the smell is familiar and they both smelled of spices and lemon. This would explain the unending parade of tragedies that have faced the Lackless family. We know Cinder angered the Cthaeh, maybe he stole a chunk of the tree? You would need to have the utmost need for a nigh unopenable box to dare build something from this wood, so the box’s creator likely had an extremely good reason </p><p>Cthaeh’s tree smells of smoke, spices, leather and lemons PDS2-30-226</p><p>They are very unlucky i.e., assassination, invasion, theft, revolt, the eldest heir forsook all family duty (Laurian? Or someone else) (PDS1-64-494)</p><p>They used to control Tinue</p><p> </p><p>There are two rhymes about the Lackless box. The first one, Kvothe hears a girl singing when he was a child (NDV-11-99):</p><p>Seven things has Lady Lackless<br/>Keeps them underneath her black dress<br/>One a ring that's not for wearing <br/>One a sharp word, not for swearing, <br/>Right beside her husband's candle <br/>There's a door without a handle <br/>In a box, no lid or locks <br/>Lackless keeps her husband's rocks <br/>There's a secret she's been keeping <br/>She's been dreaming and not sleeping<br/>On a road, that's not for traveling<br/>Lackless likes her riddle raveling</p><p>The second rhyme is sung by a boy Kvothe passes on the way back from the Eld (PDS2-34-263):</p><p>Seven things stand before, <br/>the entrance to the Lackless Door:<br/>One of them a ring unworn,<br/>One a word that is forsworn,<br/>One a time that must be right,<br/>One a candle without light,<br/>One a son that brings the blood,<br/>One a door that holds the flood,<br/>One a thing held tight in keeping,<br/>Then comes that which comes with sleeping.</p><p>That is pretty significant in itself that the rhyme spread from Vintas all the way to Baron Greyfallows lands in the Commonwealth. Despite the miles and years between them, there are a few points in common between the two that may be significant. </p><p>Number 7:<br/>This is either before the door or under her black dress.<br/>The number seven is of course associated with the Chandrian.</p><p>Door:<br/>The Lackless door / a door without a handle. <br/>Caudicus confirms that family legend mentions this door.</p><p>Candle <br/>Her husband’s candle / a candle without light. <br/>This matches up with Haliax’s sign as painted on the Mauthen vase, in that case it would imply this is Lyra in the black dress, that is a stretch although she was technically his widow (albeit for a very brief time), I haven’t noticed anything hinting that they had children and founded the Lackless line </p><p>Ring<br/>A ring not for wearing / that is unworn <br/>Maybe the wooden ring with Meluan’s name burned into it that she gives Kvothe? Breden specifically says “It’s not the sort of ring you wear, It’s quite the other sort of ring actually” (PDS-66-535)</p><p>Word<br/>A sharp word not for swearing / a word that is forsworn <br/>That could be quite a number of things as people are quite cagey about saying true names, i.e., the Admere caution Kvothe about sharing his Adem name, Abernethy won’t hear the names of the Chandrian, Felurian won’t say Jax’s name, </p><p>Something Kept<br/>A secret she's been keeping / a thing held tight in keeping <br/>That could go either way, it could be a literal thing that is being trapped or a metaphorical secret the way Denna describes (secret knowledge, heart secret blah blah blah)</p><p>Sleep<br/>She's been dreaming and not sleeping / Then comes that which comes with sleeping <br/>We know Haliax can’t sleep and therefore can’t dream so maybe this is a reference to that?</p><p>The rest of the things are in one rhyme or the other but not both:</p><p>Box<br/>A box, no lids or locks<br/>Kvothe was personally shown the box by Meluan</p><p>Road<br/>On a road, that's not for traveling<br/>Apparently all roads lead to Tinue, the boy Jax growing up on a broken road</p><p>Rocks<br/>Lackless keeps her husband's rocks <br/>This could be a crude reference to testicles (dick and balls versus candle and rocks), or literally rocks i.e., the loden stones, the force field rocks. Maybe there was literally a force field keeping those doors shut - the thing with angular momentum or whatever Master Kilvin said</p><p>Riddle Raveling<br/>Lackless likes her riddle raveling <br/>Was ravel that slur on the Ruh that made Kvothe lose his temper at the exam? is raveling even a word? is it the opposite of unraveling?</p><p>Door<br/>One a door that holds the flood<br/>A flood of scrael? All the horrors the shapers made? </p><p>Time<br/>One a time that must be right <br/>This in all likelihood has something to do with the moon. Again on the vase Haliax and his grey candle are illustrated under three phases of the moon, this also ties into the waystones opening between the faen realm and the mortal realm when the moon is full. Maybe the doors of stone can only be opened when the moon is halfway? Wherever they stuck Jax he didn’t end up in either of those places…</p><p>A Son<br/>One a son that brings the blood <br/>The Lackless heir? Technically that would be Kvothe (ring poem too), this would tie into Denna’s genealogical research on behalf of her patron. If the patron wants the box open they do seem to be taking steps already to do so, i.e., genealogical research to find “the son that brings the blood”, learning how to read Yllish so that the story on the box can be deciphered.</p><p> </p><p>Theory:</p><p>This is a theory of three parts (an alloy if you will…)</p><p>Assuming the Lackless Box is in fact made of the wood of Cthaeh’s tree, the person who constructed it would have had to have the utmost need for an impregnable box that would last millennia, to dare build it out of something so abominable. The artist was also prodigiously talented if they could build a box with no visible lid or hinges out of a wood so dense it could not be carved or burned. They were also either an unrepentant show-off to carve a design into it for embellishment only, or they wanted a message passed forward in time too. If in fact it was an Yllish story knot I would expect that whatever they felt they had to say was of utmost importance. This could be anything from instruction for how to open the box, a label for what was in the box, instructions for how to destroy it, or even “DANGER DO NOT OPEN!”</p><p>Assuming something in the Lackless box opens the Lackless Door (located in an ancient Lackless manor in the free city of Tinuë). The only real narrative support for this I could find is that the door and the box are associated through the children’s rhymes. It also mirrors some of the other stories we are told. For example, the keys to open Kvothe’s chest are in a box on the roof, the key to make the little boy’s arse fall off is in a box etc. Finally, it makes more sense than the alternative which is an ancient family who was just bonkers for building things that couldn’t be opened. In other words, if we knew that in addition to the door and the box there was also great aunt Bertha’s terribly mysterious un-openable sock drawer and little Billy’s un-openable pack of cards, some of the gravitas would be lost.</p><p>Tinuë is the modern day Tinusa, the only great city that was not destroyed during the Creation war</p><p>If we tie these three things together, what we get is a secret door built on the site of an ancient city that someone has gone to extreme lengths to ensure that no one can get the key. </p><p> </p><p>We also know someone didn’t betray their city during the creation war, maybe for good or ill, they had a reason. Someone needed to make a box that couldn’t be opened? Did they keep it in their city that would later become Tinuë?</p><p>Is the lackless door the doors of stone? If that is where the doors are I can see why they wouldn’t want to risk destroying Tinusa!</p><p> </p><p>DOORS OF STONE</p><p>This is obviously a significant topic as this is the proposed name for book three. These doors have been mentioned a number of times already. For example, Felurian tells Kvothe she won’t name the “first and greatest shaper” even though he is shut beyond the doors of stone (PDS2-28-218). Skarpi says that after the battle of Drossen Tor the enemy (presumably Jax/Iax) is set behind doors of stone (NDV-26-214), and Bast swears on the doors of stone PDS2-31-239.</p><p>We don’t know who exactly shut the doors of stone but we know it was not Haliax as he was dead at the time. Maybe Haliax can open it but he needs the key from the box, maybe Jax is the only one who can make the “aleu fall from the sky” and finally break the curse.</p><p>Theory:</p><p>Is the door of stone in the secret door in the ancestral Lackless family mansion? This house presumably located in the free city of Tinuë has no hinges, no handle and no lock (lockless), no one knows what is on the other side (PDS1-59-461).</p><p>Was it foreshadowing that the pawn shop where Kvothe leaves his copy of Logic and Rhetoric is called the broken binding (NDV-30-235)? Does he release something that had been carefully bound?</p><p>Is the urn from the Mauthen farm showing a picture of the Amyr stopping Haliax from opening the door? (PDS1-35-312)</p><p>KVOTHE’S TRIPLE LOCKED BOX</p><p>Appearance wise, it is a large chest built out of roah dark as coal and smooth as glass. It smells of citrus and dipped iron (NDV-1-27) and weighed over 400 lbs when it was empty (PDS1-71-546). As mentioned above, although the display board for Folly is also made of roah, they were not purchased at the same time.</p><p>Kvothe built this box himself, and modeled it after the Lackless box with no visible hinges (PDS1-71-545). He ensured that it would be infernally difficult to open.</p><p>The first line of defence is the wood itself. Roah doesn’t burn and is impossible to cut with a saw. It also has a very high iron content which makes it unpleasant for the fae to handle (PDS1-71-545). </p><p>The second line of defence is the physical locks. There is a copper lock that can only be opened by taking an iron key and turning it left, then right, then left, and there is an iron lock that is opened by taking a copper key and pushing it in then pulling it out of the lock. He keeps these keys in a small box hidden on the roof, and the iron key and the iron lock are both a deterrent to the fae (PDS2-77-614).</p><p>The final line of defence is an invisible lock he himself can no longer open (PDS2-77-614), although he looks at it with regret and desire (NDV-1-27).</p><p>As a side note, at University he had a little wooden box to keep all the treasures Auri gave him (PDS1-50-411), is this the box he keeps the keys in?</p><p>Theory:</p><p>The most obvious things to have locked in the box would be his lute, his shaed, his rings, Auri’s treasures, and Cesura, however I suspect that his name or at least part of it is in there.<br/>This is not unexpected, as in Hespe’s story, Jax (Iax) tries to catch the name of the moon in an empty box (PDS2-12-85), and in Kvothe’s story about the Chronicler, the King’s name is in a glass book, in a copper box, locked in an iron box (PDS1-47-391). </p><p>We also know that this kind of thing is possible, as he was able to isolate parts of his own mind, even as a young child when he was playing “seek the stone” with Ben (NDV-10-92). Furthermore, we know names can be altered as when Kvothe was trying to ask Elodin about why Denna kept changing her name, Elodin is horrified because he thought someone had changed their name (PDS2-75-599).</p><p>I think maybe he locked “the song of himself” in the box. This is the music he played to Vashet when he had to explain to her why “he does not have knives for hands” (PDS2-45-365) </p><p>I also think that whatever part of himself he does have locked in the box, like the moon, it was imperfectly done. He still shows glimmers of power although it is out of his conscious control. We see two examples of this. First, the dying fire flares up by itself when he is alone in his room lost in contemplation after one of the travelers recognizes him (NDV-3-43). Secondly, when the Chronicler is about to say something about Denna that he did not want to hear, a bottle of Denna’s favourite strawberry wine explodes (NDV-6-61). This makes sense as Elodin explained that the sleeping mind is vast enough to contain the names of things (PDS1-12-140), and likely too large to be contained. Whatever has become of Kvothe, his sleeping mind is perhaps unaffected? </p><p>What’s in the box…?</p><p>Dave on Hirtopolis pointed out that maybe he locked up the V and the H (turning Kvothe to Kote)</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Loose Threads</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Here are the rest of my theories that really didn’t fit neatly anywhere else but that seem significant…</p><p>See, Know and Speak<br/>Cthaeh is, he sees, he knows and he speaks PDS2-30-227<br/>So now we have shapers, knowers (per Felurian), and listeners (from the Jax story), and the ranks of the Arcanum E’lir, Re’lar, El’the.  I think those words are similar? Same root word is alar?</p><p>Sightlessness<br/>With respect to the tragedy that leads to Kvothe assuming a new identity and waiting for death in the middle of nowhere, I think it will be the direct result of something he did on the spur of the moment that if he had thought about it he would have known it was a bad choice. This is consistently foreshadowed by two things. </p><p>First, people repeatedly tell him to be mindful of consequences whether or not they are intended. For example, his mother warns him to think before he sings (NDV-11-99), Abernethy tells him “A person who is smart and doesn’t reflect is terrifying“ (NDV-14-129). When Loren bans him from the library he explains that his intentions don’t matter just his actions (NDV-43-347), Vashet repeats this lesson in a flashback, you have to act in the spirit of the Lethani or there will never be success (translation?) (PDS2-59-461). Tempi warns him that battle should only bring duty and regret (PDS2-35-277)</p><p>Secondly, we know he has a hard time listening to things he does not want to hear (PDS1-49-403). </p><p>The tragedy is that we can’t really blame him.  His “biggest successes came without thinking” (NDV-3-36). He continuously makes mistakes but he always ends up turning the situation around. Despite all that he has lived through, he never really has the idea that something can’t be fixed, that your parents being murdered by monsters is not actually the worst thing that can happen to a person. When his luck finally runs out, it results in disaster...</p><p>We know that Kvothe “played, voyaged, loved, lost the game, trusted, and was betrayed.” Maybe he tells Denna the truth, she betrays him and tells her patron (aka Bredon, aka the Chandrian Alenta) who tells Haliax, who he uses the information to open the doors of stone, freeing Jax and releasing a flood of scrael?</p><p> </p><p>The Black Haired Man:<br/>Who was the man with black hair who passes Elodin and Kvothe on the stone bridge before he leaves for Severn (2-50-411) that later shows up late for the boat with a wrapped package under his arm (2-51-419). Is he involved in the treachery that befalls the ship (2-51-421)? Did Ambrose actually arrange to have Kvothe’s ship sunk the way Devi suspected (PDS2-69-552)? If yes he is a bigger danger than Kvothe suspects. Especially since he knew that Willem was involved with the fire. Does Kvothe’s petty rivalry with Ambrose get Willem killed?</p><p>Cold Hard Cash<br/>On a more practical note, how did he have enough money to buy the Waystone Inn? That kind of cash is not easy to come by. When Kvothe opened the Maer’s tax box, he estimated a good sized roadside inn would cost 200 royals, which is equivalent to 500 silver talents (WMF-93). Furthermore, the fireplaces in the inn were custom made, and he has a chest made of roah which is worth its weight in gold (NOTW-1).</p><p>The Mauthen Farm<br/>Whose fort was it that the Mauthen farm was built over? Who would have ancient pottery showing the Chandrian and the Amyr?</p><p> </p><p>The Moon<br/>My money would be on the name of the moon - Ludis. Kvothe did swear on his left hand and the moon that he wouldn’t ask about Denna’s patron (PDS1-73-559), and the Patron does seem heavily mixed up in this (reorganize this so you can see my awesome bit about him trying to open the damn box)</p><p>Medical Mysteries<br/>Bast (NDV-92-777) and Kvothe’s eyes both change colours, is that significant? Is that a magic thing?</p><p>Also why do the Adem women only get pregnant in the fall? The only thing I can think of (besides magic) is that they are so fit that their BMI is too low for them to ovulate and they train less / eat more in the summer so their cycles restart in time to get pregnant?</p><p>An Uninvited Guest</p><p>The Adem warn him that he can’t repeat the true names of the seven until 1,000 nights have passed and he has walked 1,000 miles (PDS2-54-431) as they know when and where their names are being said (PDS2-55-433). </p><p>In the space of two days he has said Ferule twice: once repeating Haliax’s words when he killed the troop, and once when repeating the Ademre story. He also said Cyphus once when repeating the Ademre story and “Scyphus” once when repeating the story (Hespe?Marten? told). </p><p>Bast is horrified when he hears their true names, but Kvothe reassures him that they are not in danger from speaking them once as their names are being said “from Arueh to the Circular Sea”. Nonetheless, this is 9 “pings” over two days which is ominous… This is definite folly!</p><p>Éolien bar versus wind in French?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As I read the books in both French and English, the page numbers are cited for both per the following editions:</p>
<p>The Name of the Wind<br/>The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One<br/>Daw Books<br/>First Deluxe Hardcover Printing, October 2017<br/>Cited as: NOTW-Chapter-Page</p>
<p>Le nom du vent<br/>Chronique du tuer du roi: Première journée<br/>Bragelonne 2009, pour la présente traduction<br/>4e tirage: janvier 2013<br/>Cited as: NDV-Chapitre-Page</p>
<p>The Wise Man’s Fear<br/>The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day Two<br/>Daw Books<br/>Copyright 2011<br/>Cited as: WMF-Chapter-Page</p>
<p>La peur du sage - Première partie<br/>Chronique du tuer du roi: Deuxième journée<br/>Bragelonne 2012, pour la présente traduction<br/>Cited as: PDS1-Chapitre-Page</p>
<p>La peur du sage - Seconde partie<br/>Chronique du tuer du roi: Deuxième journée<br/>Bragelonne 2012, pour la présente traduction<br/>2e édition: juin 2013<br/>Traduit de l’anglais (États-Unis) par Colette Carrière<br/>Cited as: PDS2-Chapitre-Page</p>
<p>The Slow Regard of Silent Things<br/>Daw Books<br/>Copyright 2014<br/>Cited as: SRST-Chapter-Page</p></blockquote></div></div>
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